Robert Rygor
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Robert Rygor (New York City, 1953–1994) was an Irish (European)-American gay or LGBTQ rights activist active from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s. He became an advocate for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS)[1] victims shortly after the deadly disease became widespread among many sexually active gay men and drug users in the early 1980s. He was diagnosed with the virus in 1990 before dying from it in 1994.[2]
Robert was born in New York City in 1953[3] and lived in Astoria, New York in the borough of Queens. His father's name was Stanley Rygor. His mother's name was Kathleen. She was Irish Catholic. Robert had four siblings.[4] He disclosed his sexual orientation to his parents in 1971.
Robert graduated from Mater Christi Catholic High School (now known as Saint John's Preparatory School in Astoria, NY) in 1971. The school also has a campus in Brooklyn.[4] Then he attended New York University (NYU) and studied finance in graduate school.[4]
Robert briefly worked for Morgan Stanley and then worked for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.[4]